Assorted Snowflakes
by dancing in daydreams
Summary: A series of Christmasy and wintery stories. Often based on a character and a word drawn from a box. Will probably contain both het and slash later on, rating may go up slightly.
1. Snowballs

AN: Written for my best friend, but I thought others might also enjoy these. ;-) Reviews are more than welcome!

Character: Gilderoy Lockhart

Prompt: Snowball

**Snowballs**

"And that, young Harry, is how I saved the Yeti not only from a head-cold, but also from freezing. Of course, if you are ever that situation, you shou…"

_Splat!_

Professor Lockhart was cut off by a well-aimed snowball.

Sputtering and gasping around the snowball that had hit his open mouth, he looked around for the culprit.

"Who was that? Oh, it was surely just somebody who is too shy to ask for an autograph. They must have thrown the snowball to get my attention and accidentally hit me. Not even the snowball could resist my smile, after all, I _have_ won the Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award five times in a row."

Harry groaned silently. Lockhart could even turn a snowball attack into a monologue about his looks.

"Where are you? Don't worry, I don't mind giving you an autograph…"

_Splat!_

Another snowball hit Lockhart, this time on the top of his head.

"Now really! Ruining my hairdo truly wasn't necessary! Harry, can you see…"

Two more snowballs made impact with the unhappy professor.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I just remembered I forgot to reply to an important letter. If you need anything, I'll be in my office."

While Lockhart made his way back to the castle at a pace that was just short of a run, another five snowballs hit him. Harry couldn't suppress a grin at the thought of Filch finding Lockhart dripping all along the corridors.

As soon as Lockhart was out of sight, two identical heads emerged from behind a large bush.

"Looks like you're free to spend the remaining afternoon away from autographs and hair conditioner," George said.

"Yeah, we couldn't let Slytherin's heir be spoiled by such trivialities," Fred chimed in. "So we decided to get rid of him."

"Thanks," Harry replied. "I think I would have gone mad if I'd had to listen to one more story of his heroic adventures."

"Oh, you're welcome," George answered. "Just consider it an early Christmas present, your Evilness."

"But keep in mind that we would be severely disappointed if you wasted it on homework," Fred added.

"Don't worry, I won't."

Harry waved goodbye to them as they began preparing more snowballs for their next unsuspecting victim. He had an afternoon without autographs, Most-Charming-Smile Awards or hair conditioner ahead of him. Perhaps Ron would play a couple of rounds of exploding snap with him before Hermione gave them the daily update on the Polyjuice Potion.


	2. Dragon

Character: Vernon Dursley

Prompt: dragon

**Dragon**

"Boy!"

Harry heard his uncle's voice and had no doubt whom he was addressing. He briefly considered staying in his cupboard under the stairs, but he knew that would only make things worse.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon?"

"Can you tell me what this is?" Uncle Vernon asked, waving a sheet of paper.

Harry's stomach sank as he recognised it as the task teacher had given them earlier that day.

"It was only a school assignment, we had to write down what we wanted for Christmas."

"And you thought that besides getting a roof above your useless head you'd actually get presents? Your presence is enough of a nuisance and now you have the audacity to ask for this… this… abomination? Can you imagine our mortification when your teacher told us this at the parent-teacher-conference about Dudley?"

"I didn't think a plastic dragon was worse than Dudley's ninja turtle action figures…" Harry said in a small voice.

"I am not going to take this cheek from you!" Uncle Vernon yelled, his face turning a familiar shade of puce. "Go to your cupboard! There will be no dinner for you tonight and you will stay in the cupboard for a week, except for school and chores! Do you understand?"

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry replied and returned to under the stairs.

When Harry was sure everybody was asleep, he crept out of his cupboard and tiptoed into the living room. The lights on the Christmas tree were still lit and were reflected in the baubles. On the top of the tree perched a porcelain angel, horrible in its perfection. Harry stared at it, wondering how Aunt Petunia would react if a dragon were sitting there instead of an angel.

Harry blinked. The features of the angel had changed, its face becoming scaly and more pointed, while its body had stretched. Harry grinned when he realised that it had indeed turned into a dragon.

As he returned to his cupboard several minutes later, softly humming Christmas carols under his breath, Harry spared a thought to the trouble he'd be in when his aunt saw what had happened. He shrugged his shoulders. However it had happened and no matter what his punishment was, it had been worth it.


	3. A different Christmas

AN:Since I was pretty much a failure at finishing these last year, I'm trying this again. I've got a few written and pretty much ready to be posted, so if I fail again, I at least won't fail quite as quickly. ;-) 

Pairing: Andromeda Black/Ted Tonks

Prompt used: holiday plans

AN2:In this prompt, I made Sirius a bit younger or Andromeda a bit older than in canon, it simply fit better that way. 

**A Different Christmas**

"So, what are you doing for Christmas?" Claire asked and Andromeda shrugged, her face the prefect mask she had trained it to be since she was a little girl.

"I'm not quite sure yet, it will probably be a fairly spontaneous decision," she replied.

She knew perfectly well what she would be doing. Her mother had been planning the Black Christmas ball since early August and Andromeda was expected to attend. Not attending was completely out of question. Her entire family as well as the crème de la crème of the wizarding society would be there, so the middle daughter definitely had to. There was nothing Andromeda dreaded more than having to make polite conversation with the worst pure-blood fanatics while her mother and aunt hovered nearby, hoping to introduce her to possible future husbands.

As Claire nattered on about her holiday plans, Andromeda caught Ted sending her a sympathetic smile from the next cubicle. She gave him a cheerless smile in return and was glad when Claire finally left and she could return to work.

ooooo

"Bad day?" Ted asked after they had apparated to his place sometime later. The both knew Andromeda's flat was out of question in case Bellatrix decided to come over for a surprise visit.

Andromeda groaned. "I know it was supposed to be an innocent question but I really hate being reminded of it. I just want to spend one Christmas without having to cry afterwards."

"You don't have to put yourself through that torture, you know," Ted said, pulling her into his arms.

"I'm a Black and Blacks have no choice but to attend that horrible ball."

"Well, you could always stop being a Black."

"What are you trying to say?" Andromeda asked pulling back slightly to look at his face.

"Pretty much what you think I'm saying," Ted replied with a nervous grin. "Perhaps we could get married?"

"You know that they'd disinherit me, don't you?"

"Yes, I know. And I'm perfectly happy to continue our relationship in secret if that's what you want, but I want you to know that I'd be more than happy to marry you. You don't have to let them trap you forever. It's your choice and now that we both have jobs, you don't have to rely on their money anymore."

"I'd just hate leaving Narcissa, she needs the occasional reminder that what they teach her doesn't have to be the only way of seeing things. And then there's Sirius, I think you'd like him. I'm pretty certain he won't be in Slytherin when he starts at Hogwarts next autumn. I'm sure he could use some support, even though he'll probably be the proudest Gryffindor Hogwarts has ever seen."

"Have you ever considered you might be a role model for them by showing that you can break from your family's grasp completely? Besides, they'll start making their own choices soon anyway and you do get to think about what you want for yourself. Your sister will leave Hogwarts in two years time and when Sirius goes to Hogwarts, you can shower him with supportive letters since he only has to stay with his parents a couple of weeks a year."

"Hmm, you do have a point. I do want to marry you, but I should probably sleep over my decision."

"That's good enough for me," Ted said, beaming and kissing her.

ooooo

They ended up getting married two weeks before Christmas. It was a small ceremony, with only Ted's parents and a handful of friends.

Andromeda got howlers filled with threats from her family for weeks.

On Christmas day, she also got a short letter from Sirius sent by the nicked family owl, calling her his favourite cousin, admiring her courage and wishing them all the luck in the world. Andromeda's tears of joy over that letter were the only ones spilled that Christmas.


	4. Keys

**Keys**

"You still don't really trust me, do you?" Draco quietly asked one winter evening as they sat in front of the fireplace in Grimmauld Place.

"Why would you say that?" Harry replied, puzzled. "I sleep wrapped around you almost every night, I trust you enough to let you take care of Teddy and you know all my secrets. I let you fly my broomstick and use my car, even though you don't even have an official license. I trust you with the cup I found still sitting on my parents' kitchen table after all those years, with my house…"

"Well, not enough to let me have my own keys…" Draco replied sullenly.

"What?" There was a pause. "Perhaps it's been too long since you slept in your own bed…"

Draco stared at him in disbelief for a moment before jumping to his feet.

"So now you can't even stand me near you? Fine, whatever you want! I'm leaving!"

"No, I didn't mean to say it like that!"

"But you meant it that way!" Draco yelled, rushing to the door.

"No! Wait! I…"

But Draco had already reached the door, flung it open and disapperated on the doorstep.

###

It was only when he made his way through the gates and had taken a couple of steps towards Malfoy Manor through the snow that Draco realized he had left both his shoes and his cloak in London. For a split second, he considered going back, but that was not really an option.

Besides, what was the discomfort of cold against wasting months of his life on that insufferable, arrogant prick? Not that he hadn't already wasted too much of his life, no, he had to go and fall for a Gryffindor, of all people. He should have known that that wouldn't end well.

In the end, Draco didn't even summon up the energy to perform a warming charm. He simply rushed to the manor, fumbled with the lock (_he_ had given a spare set of keys to Harry weeks ago) and stumbled inside without bothering with lights. His memories of nighttime trips around the house in his childhood led him up the stairs and into his room, where he collapsed onto his bed. It had been years since a house-elf had last been in the manor and the bed smelt of dust from weeks of not being used.

Burrowing deeper into his pillow, Draco felt a hard, cold object. He raised his head and reached out his hand to figure out what it was. With a groan, Draco let his head crash back onto his pillow. The object in his hand was unmistakably a key.


	5. Tribute

**Tribute**

"Have you already paid tribute to the Christmas tree today, Ron?" Fred asked.

"Have I done what?" Five year old Ron looked bewildered.

"Paid tribute. Don't tell me nobody warned you that if you don't put something special under the Christmas tree every day in the time before Christmas, well, you don't want to know what the Christmas tree does to you…" George replied in a whisper.

Ron stared at the Christmas tree with wide eyes. It was dark green and hung with paper chains they had all made at the kitchen table (Ron remembered Ginny's shrieks when Fred "accidentally" spilled glue in her hair). It also looked very large and very spiky…

"Oh. I dunno, what do Christmas trees like for tibuke? Water? Daddy always puts dung in the garden, but mummy'll get mad if I bring any in here…"

"No, no, a Christmas tree isn't like the carrot grows in the garden. It likes really special things…"

"Like chocolate, cake or cookies. Walnuts will also be fine. Just hide them under the tree and you'll be okay," George finished.

"But where do I get them?"

"Just give it some of the sweets you get at tea time," Fred suggested helpfully.

"Or take a few from mummy's cookie tin as well, if you want to be extra sure…" George added.

"Okay, I'll do that. The tree looks really scary."

"Well, if you haven't paid tribute yet, it's probably really hungry…"

Ron scuttled out of the living room as fast as he could without tripping over his own feet, casting glances at the tree over his shoulder.

"Ginny! Quick, I have to tell you something!"

George grinned widely at Fred.

"That went even better than expected…"

"Yeah, I didn't expect him to believe us and to tell Ginny as well. Just think of all the extra sweets we'll get now!"

"I'll almost be sad when Christmas comes because then this will be over. But maybe he'll even believe us that old man apple tree is also hungry!"


	6. Candy Cane

**Candy cane**

"What are you... oh, never mind," Remus buried his head back into his book.

"I just nicked a candy cane from the Christmas tree. Do you want me to get one for you as well?" Sirius replied innocently, giving the sticky sweet another lick.

"It's not even Christmas yet. Lily would have my head," Remus replied, not looking up from his book.

"Well, she doesn't have to know. We've already taken quite a few and she never said anything, right, Prongs?"

James nodded.

Sirius swiveled his tongue around the candy cane. "And they're quite tasty too."

Remus finally gave him a long stare before pouncing.

"You are coming home with me right now," he said, pulling a grinning Sirius to the door. James, sorry for this and give Lily my love."

"See, I told you he wouldn't be able to resist, especially at this time of the month!" Sirius managed to yell over his shoulder before the door slammed shut.

James just laughed and shook his head before disposing of the offending object with a quick spell. Lily would indeed have his head if she found half-eaten sweets littering her living room, even without knowing the entire story.


	7. Dreams

AN: I was asked to write a mpreg story about Sirius/Remus last year. I study biology, so there are only very few scenarios where I'm able to suspend my disbelief about this trope. Well, just see what I came up with...

**Dreams**

Remus rolled over sleepily and tried to silence the shrieking alarm clock.

"Mrph, you shouldn't have to go to work anymore, not when the babies are due any day now," came a half-asleep mumble from beside him.

"Babies? What are you talking about, Sirius? Besides, I'm not going to work; I'm just doing some Christmas shopping with Lily."

"Little Harry is going to be happy about all the company he'll have soon."

"I'm sure he will be," Remus replied, having decided that Sirius was still in a place where logic could reach him even less than usual. "Have you thought of names yet?"

"Aquarius, Deneb, Antares, Hydrus, Rotanev, Castra, Etamin, Albulaan, Cetus, Peregrini, Regor, Dorado, Vernalis, Aludra, Situla, Pavo, Monoceros and Pyxis."

Remus suppressed a giggle. "Star names? That's very creative."

"Mhm. Nice names. Needed many. Not my fault you're so fertile."

"I suppose. And you are going to teach them everything they need to know? Riding a bike, Quidditch, annoying Prongsie, swimming…"

"Don't need to learn how to swim. You keep forgetting we're seahorses!"

Remus couldn't help it. He gave a loud snort of laughter and was rewarded by a disoriented look from grey eyes.

"I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to wake you. We were having such a great conversation," Remus leaned down and gave his lover a kiss.

"Mrmph. 'Bout seahorses?" Sirius asked, slightly less verbose now that he was actually awake.

"Yep, and quite a number of seahorse babies, if I remember correctly,"

"Mhm. Pregnant you was amazing."

Remus giggled. "And I'm sure you were a very caring… mummy, if I was the pregnant seahorse…"

"'m not a girl!"

"Of course you're not. You're not watching anymore muggle television either. I knew it would addle with your brain, even if you only watched that 'one underwater documentary'!"


End file.
